Poland Leases 8 AH-64 Apaches, 96 to be Ordered
The visit of Polish Minister of Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, to the US and his meeting with the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin, saw it officially confirmed that the US Army will lease 8 of its AH-64E Apache helicopters to the Polish Armed Forces in order to enhance its combat and operational capacities. The aircraft, however, are not a part of any official procurement.
The US will transfer attack helicopters from its stocks until the final deal is signed between Poland and the AH-64’s manufacturer, Boeing. Earlier this year Polish army was cleared for the procurement of AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles. As initially suggested by the Armament Agency spokesman, Colonel Krzysztof Platek, those were not intended for integration with post-soviet Mi-24 helicopters remaining in Polish service. Instead, they’re destined to arm AH-64s. Poland’s Minister of National Defence Mariusz Blaszczak told Polish Radio One that:
“It is about closing the Brest Gate, so closing a part of the territory of our country, which was historically utilized by the Russians multiple times in history to attack our state, to invade Poland. Such barrier consisting of Polish Armed Forces soldiers equipped with Abrams and Apaches, very modern and very effective tanks and the most effective attack helicopters is going to be an impenetrable barrier.”
The leased AH-64Es will be probably deployed to the newly formed 18th Mechanized Division in the East in order to secure the “Brest Gate”. Helicopters will supplement M1A1 FEP and M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams main battle tanks which will be part of the formation. In recent years the main effort of the Polish MoD has been focused on reinforcing this direction including deployment of Leopard 2 MBTs from the West of the country to Warsaw.
In the coming weeks pilots from the 1st Aviation Brigade will begin training on the Apaches. The personnel initially trained on the leased aircraft will make up the nucleus for further expansion of the Polish Army’s attack helicopter wings when the deal to procure AH-64s is agreed, fulfilling the aims of the Raven Program.